Talking Early Years: In Conversation with Howard Roberts

The Curiosity Code

What makes people tick? Why do we care about certain brands—or causes—more than others? And how do we spark genuine emotional connection, not just polite head-nods?

This week on the podcast, I’m joined by Howard Roberts, a creative strategist whose superpower is curiosity. The real kind—the kind that asks why, digs deeper, challenges the status quo, and isn’t satisfied with surface-level answers. In the Early Years, we know just how powerful curiosity is. It’s the engine of learning, the spark of joy, the heart of play. But what happens when we apply that same thinking to big public issues—like how we help people truly feel why the Early Years matter?

We talk about how curiosity connects head and heart, and how statistics alone won’t shift public understanding unless they’re made human. One in five children ending up in hospital before age five due to tooth decay? Start with this: one in seven don’t even own a toothbrush. That stops you. That makes it real.

Howard shares how we can turn complex, abstract problems into powerful, personal stories—and how creative strategy might just be the missing ingredient in winning hearts for Early Years investment. We dive into the role of technology, the lost art of conversation, and what it really means to connect in a world full of noise.

We also ask: What can we learn from children’s imaginations? What do a Lego brick and a magic wand have in common? And how do we protect the spell of childhood before we replace it with pressure and premature “school readiness”?

This episode is for anyone who wants to understand why curiosity isn’t just a learning tool—it’s a radical, humanising force. One that could shift how we talk, listen, and act—especially when it comes to our youngest citizens.

Tune in. Ask why. Be curious and maybe—just maybe—you’ll see the world a little differently.